St. Paul: Flying log hits man as city workers fell elm tree

The scene at Randolph Avenue and Victoria Street in St. Paul on Friday, after a city crew was removing a large tree and debris scattered, striking a bystander in the leg. Paramedics were called to take the man to the hospital. (Photo courtesy to the Pioneer Press: Peter Matthews)

A man was injured Friday, Jan. 4, when debris scattered as a St. Paul city crew was removing a tree.

The St. Paul Parks and Recreation department's forestry section was taking down a large tree with Dutch elm disease at Randolph Avenue and Victoria Street. As the final part of the trunk was pulled and fell to the street, a log "shot across the street" and struck a man, according to preliminary information from the Parks and Rec department.

The fire department was called to the area about 1:45 p.m. and paramedics transported the man to Regions Hospital. His condition wasn't known, but a Parks and Rec report said the man had been hit in the leg.

A lot of people were outside the Spot Bar on the corner watching the tree being taken down, including the man who was injured, said Jim, who declined to give his last name and who said he works at the bar. The man appeared to have a broken leg and the last Jim heard, he was in surgery.

"I don't think they did anything wrong," Jim said of the city crew. "They were pretty professional. I think it was just a fluke."

A preliminary report from Parks and Recreation's forestry section gave this information: The crew had removed the top half to two-thirds of the tree, and about 25 feet of the trunk remained to be pulled out. Victoria Street was closed to traffic and "sidewalk closed" signs were up.

Advertisement

"Standard procedure for pulling over such a thick and heavy trunk is to create a pile of logs on the ground that absorb the impact so as not to damage the street," the report said. "Such a pile was in place. One pedestrian inched closer than the rest but the crew leader and other crew members did not feel they were in an unsafe location -- crew leader was present to ensure bystanders stood back."

When the trunk was pulled out, "it apparently hit the pile of logs so hard that two large logs were 'poked' out of the pile and were shot across the street with such speed that no one nearby could react so fast," the report continued. "One log came to rest against the west side of the bar building. The other went towards the NE corner and hit the corner of the bar building, before bouncing off towards the closest pedestrian onlooker, striking him in the leg as it came to rest."

The group is the forestry division's most accomplished removal crew and remove hundreds of trees each year, the report said, noting that negligence wasn't seen on the part of staff. The crew reported "they have never experienced logs getting shot out of the pile like those today. Nevertheless, we will obviously review the procedures used and the safe distances set up for the work zone, especially in tight quarters like they were working in today at this intersection."

The city will conduct a full review of what happened, a Parks and Rec spokesman said.